Mourning Sunset
by Valadilen
Summary: After months rebuilding the world after HADES attacks, Aloy found her way back to the Sacred Lands. Now, she has time to mourn Rost, while Erend comes to see how she is doing. One-shot.


I'm not Anglophone, so this first Fanfiction in that particular language might have some mistakes. I'm counting on you to notify me if I missed any! =)

One-Shot

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The world was safe again. With Hades "death" (how much can we say a machine is alive? It was inactive, that was for sure), machines became peaceful again. Well, most of them. You cannot really expect a Sawtooth to be nice only because there aren't Corruptors around anymore, can you?

The World was safe again. With the help of Aloy, King Avad managed to do a more peaceful relationship with the Nora Tribe; in comparison of the one "before-Hades". Noras still stayed into their lands: traditions die hard, don't they?

Everybody gave a hand in reconstructing what was destroyed; healing who got hurt during the attacks. It was a long process, and many had to deal with nightmares. But as Aloy voyaged across countries, she could see that human kind was well-made. She knew GAIA wasn't the original source of human kind existence. Did the Ancient Ones know? If they did, did they tried to put that knowledge into APOLLO?

The sun was setting.

Aloy came back to Nora-land as soon as she could. Avad was being overtly careful with his words and how to be proper around her. It was nice of him to be aware of his past mistake, but Aloy could do without the "mother-hen" sort of attention towards her. She wondered if the man would find anyone like Ersa. As Aloy heard, the late Vangard Captain, who was also Erend's sister, was quite the woman. Strong, independent, liked to boss men around. Yes. Aloy liked her. It was a shame she only met the woman at her very last minutes of life. It must have been so difficult for Erend.

"Quite the view."

Aloy did not bother to turn her head around. She was sitting on the top of a mountain-like hill. There was no easy ways to get here but to climb the bare cliff. So of course, the only person crazy enough to follow her here was the one and only Erend.

"Shouldn't you be to Meridian?" She asked as the Vanguard Captain sat on the floor next to her.

"Nah. They do just fine without me of a couple of days."

"You say that now." Aloy smiled. "Didn't your sister ask you to grow up? Coming in Nora lands on the spur of a moment is not what I would say… "adult-like"."

"Oh, hush you." Erend humorously said.

Aloy laugh a little before her attention got drag back to the sunset. They stayed like this for a long moment, in silence. Both were taken by the beauty of the landscape, or perhaps they spirits wondered to the loved ones they lost.

Eventually, alloy turned a discreet eye to Erend. His attention was completely absorbed both by the sunset and his thoughts; so he didn't notice her at all.

Last time they met, a few months ago, he was wearing a short-cut Mohawk and a strange shaved beard. He still had the Mohawk, but had a braid to it. It was… Nora-like. The big difference to his physic now was definitely the beard: he let it grow. Aloy liked it better this way. Also, he was wearing warm cloths, which was a sensitive decision when we consider the temperature gap between Meridian and All-Mother's Heart. After helping Aloy, Varl and Sona defeat HADES, the tribe was more than willing to welcome the outlander in All-Mother's Heart. Perhaps not as a brother, but as a friend. And as a friend, Aloy was sure that Varl provided Erend with warm clothes. It suited him. Shame he wasn't part of the tribe.

"I ran into your friend stitcher – Teb is his name, right? – and he told me you came back few weeks ago but didn't seem to… enjoy being back home. Anything you want to talk about?" Erend suddenly said, like a thought brought another one and the question just went out all by itself.

Aloy quickly turn her eyes away. Yeah. Being unhappy was the word. She was happy to see that the tribe was safe and sound considering all what happened. But she also visited her house – Rost's house—hopping to find some peace and quiet. All she found was nostalgia and sadness, that led to a paradox: homesickness. Homesickness in her childhood house? That did'nt make sense, until she found Rost's grave.

"They buried him near our house. But Teersa said that there was little to recover." She finally said. "When I learned you sister past away, I hesitate… about telling you about him. About Rost. But I kept quiet, because telling you that I lost family too wouldn't have helped you."

Aloy stayed silent for a moment. She could feel Erend's quiet and gentle gaze towards her. He was listening; probably having trouble remembering: he was quite drunk the night she first came to Meridian.

"I was raised as an outcast. I had no mother, no father, and appeared out of nowhere in the sacred mountain. The tribe though I was a cursed, so Teersa, who couldn't fight all alone popular superstition gave me to an outcast. His name was Rost. He was the best hunter I ever known… but then again, my judgment might not be objective here." She laughed. "I think he loved him. Like the daughter that was taken away from him years before that. He was the best. A strong follower of All-Mother, a ferocious hunter, the worst mother-hen you could find this side of the world."

Erend burst into a laugh with Aloy.

"I'm trying to picture it." He said. "Shame I never get to meet him. Wait… Why wasn't he at the Proving? He was your adopted father, wasn't he?"

"Yes. But he was an outcast. As a child participating to the Proving, I had access –and it's how I met you. But Rost wasn't… "invited" to the party. Didn't stop him from watching the Proving. He was the one who saved me…"

Aloy stopped. That part was the one were Rost got blown into pieces because of some bloodthirsty idiots fanaticisms.

Erend didn't ask for details. He could imagine why his friend was suddenly so quiet. He stretched an arm to reach Aloy; who let herself being gently drag against him. She put her head onto his shoulder and let quiet tears.

The Sun was almost down behind the mountains when Aloy broke the silence.

"You must be happy." She said.

"What was that?"

"You are having more than a minute or two of my time."

They both smiled; Erend more shyly than Aloy.

"Mind if I keep having some right now?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"


End file.
